NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday approved grant of maternity child care leave (MCCCL) for premature born children of serving soldiers and officers with effect from the date of birth of such children.
The MCCCL for 60 days, excluding the period of hospitalisation, will be admissible for premature born children up to 34 weeks gestation, a defence ministry statement said.
In case the premature born child is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or hospitalised for a longer period, the period of hospitalisation will be added to the MCCCL, it added.
The relaxation has been granted in view of the special care and attention required by premature infants and the need to provide additional support to the nursing mothers during this period, the statement noted.
According to the defence ministry, on an average about 600 premature babies are born to service personnel every year.
Premature birth, also known as preterm birth, is one in which the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born prematurely can have a number of health issues such as respiratory problems, feeding difficulties, and developmental delays.
MCCCL is a type of leave that is granted to women who have given birth to a child. It allows the mother to take time off work to care for her newborn child.
The grant of MCCCL for premature born children is a welcome move as it will provide additional support to the nursing mothers and help them to care for their premature babies.
In addition to MCCCL, the defence ministry also provides a number of other benefits to pregnant women and mothers, including free prenatal care, postnatal care, and childcare.
These benefits are designed to help women to have a healthy pregnancy and to provide them with the support they need to care for their children..
